Amazon Mechanical Turk is a platform that allows businesses to hire remote workers to complete tasks that computers are currently unable to perform. It is owned and operated by Amazon Web Services.
What is Amazon Mechanical Turk?
Amazon Mechanical Turk is a platform that allows businesses to hire remote workers, also known as “crowdworkers”, to complete specific on-demand tasks that are unable to be completed by computers. Owned and operated by Amazon Web Services, this platform has been in operation since 2005 and has grown into a popular choice for businesses looking to outsource tasks to remote workers globally.
How does Amazon Mechanical Turk work?
Amazon Mechanical Turk works by allowing businesses to post tasks or jobs known as “Human Intelligence Tasks” or HITs. These tasks range in complexity and can include anything from data entry, image tagging, transcription services, and even simple research tasks. Upon posting the task, a crowdworker can then pick up the job and complete it, thereby receiving a reward upon successful completion.
Typically, businesses pay a fee per HIT, and the crowdworkers are paid a fee for their services. The amount paid to the crowdworker varies and can range from a few cents to a few dollars, depending on the complexity and time required to complete the task.
What are the benefits of Amazon Mechanical Turk?
Amazon Mechanical Turk provides several benefits to businesses, including:
1. Cost-effective: As businesses only pay for the tasks that are successfully completed, it can save them money in hiring a full-time employee or outsourcing to an external agency.
2. Flexibility: Businesses can post tasks at any time and from anywhere, and it will be accessible to global crowdworkers.
3. Speed: Businesses can get their tasks completed faster than traditional hiring methods, as the task can be picked up by multiple crowdworkers simultaneously.
4. Accuracy: By using a crowdworker to complete a task, the results are often more accurate than if a computer or automated service attempted to do so.
5. Scalability: With a large pool of global crowdworkers, businesses can scale up their operations with ease.
FAQ
What types of tasks can I post on Amazon Mechanical Turk?
You can post a variety of tasks, including data entry, survey completion, content moderation, transcription services, image tagging, and more.
How do I pay crowdworkers?
You can pay crowdworkers using Amazon Mechanical Turk’s payment system, which is linked to your Amazon account.
What is the quality of work from crowdworkers?
The quality of work from crowdworkers varies depending on the complexity of the task and the experience of the crowdworker. However, this platform includes a rating system that allows businesses to choose high-quality crowdworkers from a large pool.
Can I use Amazon Mechanical Turk for long-term projects?
While this platform is more suited to short-term tasks or one-off projects, it is possible to use it for longer-term projects by posting multiple tasks to be completed by the same crowdworker.
How do I get started with Amazon Mechanical Turk?
To get started with Amazon Mechanical Turk, you need to sign up for an account on the website. Once your account is approved, you can start posting tasks and hiring crowdworkers. However, it should be noted that the platform does take a portion of the fee paid to crowdworkers as a commission.
